When the next World of Warcraft expansion launches, it's simply not going to be your mama's WoW. In an interview with Game Informer, Game Director Ion Hazzikostas said that traditional raid class sets are headed out the door because of the feeling that they tend to lock players in and limit their choices when it comes to acquiring gear.
With sets and cosmetic appearances we're always trying new things. We're currently not planning on carrying forward traditional raid class sets. So we're going to have artwise, the gear will be more heavily themed from the place it comes. There's more customization we want to express through the new Azerite system.
I think class sets have changed a lot over a years of World of Warcraft. Back in the day, these 8 piece sets you would put together over the course of 6 to 8 months raiding a zone, where now the smaller sets and so many more sources of gear, it's very common to get 2 or 4 pieces at the start of a tier and it actually kind of locks down those character slots, it limits your choices. It feels like more of a drawback than a strength at this point.
Is it possible that raiders will be rewarded with cosmetic appearances for their efforts in completing raids in addition to scoring higher iLevel gear? It's certainly not out of the realm of the possible. After all, this is exactly what was done in Legion with numerous artifact appearances.
Additionally, many players sought after class raid sets for powerful bonuses they brought to both passive and active abilities. With Azerite applied to up to four pieces of gear, much of that type of functionality will be moving to applying bonuses to customizable pieces of armor which allows for more freedom and flexibility for players.
We should learn more about this system in the coming months. What do you think of the changes?
